SKIDMORE MEN'S SOCCER GAME PREVIEW
 
#6 Skidmore College Thoroughbreds (9-5-3, 3-3-3 Liberty League) vs. #2 Ithaca College Bombers (8-5-5, 6-1-2 Liberty League)
Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021; 1:30 p.m.; East Campus Athletic Village Stadium (RPI); Troy, N.Y.
 
"As per Rensselaer's plan to return to campus-based operations of August 13, 2021, only RPI staff and students who are fully compliant with the Institute's COVID-19 protocols are allowed to attend games. External spectators are not permitted on Rensselaer's campus at this time. Additionally, pre- and post-game gatherings/tailgating in any campus location is prohibited; And access to ECAV or other campus restroom facilities to visitors is not allowed."   
 
GAME COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS 
LIVE VIDEO
 
MATCHUP: Skidmore is seeking its first appearance in the conference title game since 2016 while Ithaca will attempt to reach the championship for the second time as a member of the Liberty League. Neither team has won a conference championship. Skidmore won the semifinal game three times in four years from 2013-16. The sixth-seeded Thoroughbreds went on the road and defeated RIT, 1-0, on Tuesday. Isaac Myran scored the goal early in the second half and Bobby Stratts posted the shutout. Ithaca has been idle since Oct. 30 after earning the second seed and first-round bye. The Bombers were defeated just once in their final 10 regular-season contests.
 
SERIES: The all-time series dates back to 1991, with Skidmore still searching for its first win. Ithaca leads 6-0-4. However, each of the last two match ups and four of the previous six have ended in draws. All matches in the series have been separated by two goals or less. The teams played a near-identical statistical game on Oct. 15 in Saratoga Springs. Max Mian was the goal-scorer for Skidmore and Jon Kyriakidis scored for Ithaca in the 1-1 tie.
 
SKIDMORE: The Thoroughbreds are riding a three-game unbeaten streak and have lost just once in their last seven outings (3-1-3). Skidmore has not allowed a goal since Oct. 23 at St. Lawrence, or 296-plus minutes of play.
 
Skidmore is third in the conference in scoring with an average of 1.706 goals per game. The Thoroughbreds are also one of five teams that have allowed less than a goal per game. Skidmore is tied with RPI for fourth with a 0.76 goals-surrendered average.
 
Finn Weber still leads the team in scoring with seven goals and three assists. Kamal Ibrahim has four goals and an assist, while Roman Toepler has three goals and two assists. Alec Llerena and Mian have seven points each. Stratts is 9-5-3 with a 0.76 goals-against average and a .841 save percentage to rank fifth and fourth, respectively, in the Liberty League.
 
ITHACA: Ithaca is near the bottom of the league in scoring with 1.167 goals per game, but also have the league's best defense with just 0.67 goals against per contest. Despite the relatively low goal total, the Bombers are active offensively and lead the league in corner kicks and are second with 249 shots.
 
The Bombers are led in scoring by Kyriakidis with five goals and one assist. Aidan Keenan is second with three goals and an assist. Connor Tierney, Drew Cohn, and Jared Gast all have two goals. Lee Folger has played a majority of the minutes in goal for Ithaca, coming in with a 0.37 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
 
NEXT: The winner will play for the Liberty League Championship on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. versus the winner of the other semifinal game. Host and top-seeded RPI will play fifth-seeded St. Lawrence at 11 a.m. on Saturday.